


Baby Bump

by Calico_21



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Fainting, Giving Birth, M/M, Mates, One Shot, Pregnancy, Pregnant Rin, Protective Yamazaki Sousuke, Pups, Werewolf Sousuke, confused sousuke, sourin, werewolf Rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 09:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7527811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calico_21/pseuds/Calico_21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin has been acting funny lately.</p><p>Sousuke wants to know why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby Bump

**Author's Note:**

> Requested fic: 'Can you do a SouRin fanfic with a pregnant female Rin? I'm in need of some fluff here. Thank you!'
> 
> Hey guys! I’m really sorry for the late upload (I was sick for the whole week) but here it is: Oneshot where Rin is pregnant. However, I decided not to make him female, but he’s an omega in the storyline whereas Sousuke is the alpha. I had fun writing about Rin going through pregnancy and confused Sousuke :'D I searched up a lot of stuff about pregnancy- if my mum saw the number of opened tabs in my iPad she would have thought i was pregnant :p 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

"Rin," Sousuke called, putting his bag down and heading towards the kitchen where he could hear the omega cooking. "I'm home."

 His mate was standing by the stove, cooking something. Sousuke snuck up behind him and wounded his arms around his waist. Rin jumped at the contact and gave a small noise of surprise, almost dropping the ladle in his hand. "Sousuke?"

 "Hey," Sousuke said gently, nuzzling his face in Rin's neck. "Sorry, did I scare you?" He could detect the fading-off scent of shock and a little bit of something else he couldn't quite catch.

 "You took me by surprise." Rin said.

 "Didn't you hear me come in?"

 "No," Rin switched off the stove and turned to his mate. "Sorry."

 "It's okay," Sousuke said, "you seemed distracted."

 Rin gave him a small smile, but Sousuke noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm just tired, that's all."

 "Is it me, or do you smell like the hospital?" Sousuke said nosing Rin's neck again, feeling puzzled. Rin pulled away abruptly, grabbing the plate with food and bringing it to the table.

 "I went for a checkup today."

 "Oh?" Sousuke asked. He couldn't help but feel as though Rin was acting funny today.

 "Yeah. Come and eat, dinner's ready." Rin said.

 Sousuke sat down eagerly. After a long day at work, he was starving. He picked up his chopsticks, and was about to take a piece of meat when the sound of a chair scraping backwards loudly made him look up. Rin was already running out of the room, one hand covering his mouth and the other over his stomach.

 "Rin?" Sousuke stood up, hunger now quickly forgotten when he heard the sound of retching coming from the bathroom. He hurried over, worry settling in his chest. His mate was crouched at the toilet, dry heaving and panting. Tears were streaming down his face. Sousuke pulled Rin's red hair away from his face and rubbed a hand on his back, trying to help relieve him.

 "Here." Sousuke handed him a wet cloth to wipe his mouth. Rin did, though his face was red and flushed. He kept his eyes trained downwards at the bathroom tiles. "Are you feeling okay?"

 Rin nodded.

 "Are you sick? Is that why you went to the hospital?"

 Rin just shook his head but said nothing. He squeezed his eyes shut, looking like he was in pain. "I—I just want to go lie down for a while." He proceeded to walk out but Sousuke stepped forward, bringing his arms under Rin's knees and carrying him up bridal style.

 "Sleep." Sousuke said softly, tucking Rin's head into his chest. He was giving out a comforting scent, making sure it was enveloping his mate who was in his arms. "I've got you."

 By the time he reached the bedroom, Rin was already fast asleep. Sousuke tucked him into bed, pulling the covers over him. He stroked his thumb over Rin's cheek. He was worried, that was for sure, though he couldn't get answers now.

 He ate dinner alone before pouring a glass of water and bringing it upstairs. He placed it on Rin's bedside table. After cleaning up, he crawled into the covers beside Rin, careful not to wake him up. The alpha circled his arms around Rin's waist, bringing him closer. His wolf, restless from the previous event that happened, felt better now that they had their mate in their arms.

 However, when he woke up the next morning, Rin wasn't sleeping beside him. The side of the bed felt cold and empty. Sousuke pushed himself up, scanning the room. Rin was nowhere to be found.

 When he got downstairs, he had a sense of deja vu when heard the familiar sound of vomiting once again in the toilet.

 "Rin?"

 The retching sounds paused for a while at the sound of Sousuke's voice before it came back. Sousuke hurried over to the bathroom, where Rin was crouched over the toilet—similarly like how he was the day before—throwing up the contents from his stomach. Sousuke rubbed a hand on his back. The worry from the previous day came back again.

 "I'm okay..." Rin raised a hand when Sousuke wanted to help him up.

 But seeing him like that, Sousuke wasn't.

 ---------

 It was strange.

 Lately, Sousuke had been having these very strong urges to _protect_ his mate. From what, he wasn't sure. He thought maybe his wolf was on edge ever since the day he came home to Rin vomiting. Rin still vomited sometimes in the mornings and he still felt nauseous before a meal. Sousuke had urged him to go visit a doctor, worried that Rin might have caught some life-threatening disease. But Rin had always refused, saying that he was fine. There were times when Sousuke would find Rin crouched over the toilet that was downstairs, retching in the middle of the night, as though he had to keep it a secret from Sousuke.

 He often felt restless whenever Rin wasn't near him. It didn't really help that his mate was being more and more distant lately. Sousuke was worried that he might have done something wrong—but he knew Rin like the back of his palm, and he knew that Rin wasn't one to keep his temper hidden for this long.

 But Rin was acting off.

 He was staring off into space most of the time with a far-away expression in his eyes. He didn't talk as much anymore, as though he was preoccupied with the thoughts running through his head. Not to mention that there was something different about his scent...

 Sousuke couldn't quite point it out but usually a werewolf's scent wouldn't just change without a reason, so Sousuke was skeptical about Rin's behavior. He was ashamed to admit that he was beginning to feel suspicious of his own mate.

 "Rin?" Sousuke asked softly one day, waiting until his mate had snapped out of his daze.

 "Hm?"

 "Is something wrong?"

 Rin seemed to tense up like a coil the minute the question left Sousuke's lips. "Nothing's wrong, Sousuke. Why do you ask?" He asked, a little too defensive for Sousuke's liking.

 "I just feel like something's bothering you." Sousuke said, walking over and embracing his mate in his arms. "You can always talk to me about it."

 Rin hid his face in the crook of Sousuke's neck, inhaling his scent. "It's nothing Sousuke, honestly."

 "Alright." Sousuke decided to let it go for now. "If there's anything, I'm here okay?"

 But it wasn't alright.

 The next night, they were laying in bed when Sousuke reached over and started kissing Rin. Things were slowly growing heated when he felt two hands pushed gently against his chest. He stopped moving immediately, pulling back to look down at Rin, who was shaking his head.

 "What?" Sousuke was confused. Usually, Rin wouldn't refuse when Sousuke initiated sex.

 "Not today alright?" Rin said, though he sounded apologetic. "I'm feeling a bit tired." He _did_ sound tired. And weary, Sousuke noted. He wondered what he did to be so exhausted; Rin mostly just stayed at home nowadays.

 "Alright, it's okay." Sousuke said, laying back down again, though he couldn't help but feel a sense of rejection washed over him. He tried telling himself that he was being stupid. That Rin was just tired. Sousuke wanted to believe him, he really did. But Rin's scent—the usual woodsy smell— that was tinged with something sweet–something out of the ordinary- only served to raise Sousuke's suspicions higher.

 ---------

 "Rin, don't you have to pack or something?" Sousuke asked, confused when he saw the red-head still sitting casually on the couch and no luggage to be seen. Rin was supposed to be flying off to Europe for a swimming tournament next week, but it seemed like he hadn't even started packing yet. Sousuke found it odd—Rin was usually very organized in his stuff, and he would have at least placed everything that he needed out by now.

 "Hm?" Rin said, though he looked distracted with something on his phone.

 "Don't you have to pack for your trip next week?" Sousuke repeated, crossing his arms and raising a questioning eyebrow.

 Rin seemed to freeze at the question, his fingers hovering above the screen of his phone, and his gaze shifted away uncomfortably when Sousuke glanced at him. "Umm...about that trip— I'm not going anymore."

 "What?" Sousuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Rin, you've been looking forward for this for months. What do you mean you're not going anymore?"

 Rin toyed with his fingers uneasily, especially when he noticed the mild scent of anger coming from the alpha. "I mean...I changed my mind about it—I don't feel like going anymore."

 At that, Sousuke grew even angrier. "So you're calling it off, just because you don't feel like going anymore. What the hell, Rin? It doesn't work that way . The world doesn't just revolve around you, you know. How could you call something this big off after practically training for months? Did you tell your manager?"

 Rin nodded quietly, not daring to say anything just in case he messed this up further than it already was. He was starting to get a little afraid at the intimidating aura Sousuke was projecting.

 "Honestly Rin," Sousuke threw his hands up in frustration. "I don't know what's with you nowadays. You're always spacing out and acting distracted. You don't seem to care about anything anymore, even swimming. You have this perfect opportunity and you're throwing it away just like that."

 "Sou—"

 "And the way you've been acting lately makes me feel like swimming's not the only thing you don't care about anymore. I feel like lately, I'm the only one putting in some effort into this relationship. It really makes me question if you already have your priorities set on someone else."

 Rin's mouth fell open at Sousuke's outburst. "Sousuke, are you saying that I'm cheating on you?"

 "Are you?" Sousuke shot back, his eyes narrowed. "Because you sure don't look like you want to stick around any longer."

 "That's not true!" Rin exclaimed, his eyes blown wide with shock and his face turning red. "I—"

 "If you want to, you can just leave." Sousuke said angrily, and Rin almost cowered when he towered over him. "That's what you want, right? Because obviously there's someone else."

 "Wait—"

 "No, I don't want to hear you explain." Sousuke said, shaking his head and turning away towards the door. "Honestly, I can't even deal with you right now."

 Hot tears gathered in Rin's eyes at his alpha's words that cut deep wounds into him, spilling down his face seconds later. The omega bit back a whimper. Sousuke didn't even listen to what _he_ had to say. He stood up from the couch quickly, wanting to stop Sousuke when a bolt of sharp pain shot down his back. He gasped and bent over, clutching the arm of the couch. Instead of subsiding, the pain only grew stronger, traveling down his back and abdomen. His knees buckled and he collapsed.

 Sousuke who was just about to leave, turned around when he heard him. His earlier anger quickly dissipated at the sight of his mate.

 "Rin?" He rushed over. Panic welled up in his chest. Sousuke caught his mate before he could fall to the floor. "Rin!" His voice rose in fear this time. He had his mate in his arms, and yet, he was helpless. He didn't know what was wrong; he didn't know what to do.

 "Sousuke..." Rin whispered. The world around him felt like it was spinning in circles. Black spots danced around the edges of his vision before they overtook him and everything went dark.

 ---------

Sousuke gave a heavy sigh as he buried his face into his palms. At that, the lady at the counter shot him a sympathetic look. Not that he noticed, he was too busy dealing with the gut-wrenching fear and guilt in his chest.

 He was seated in one of the hallways in the hospital, waiting for the doctor to come out of the room to tell him what was going on. Waiting. That was all he could do.

  _Useless_.

 That was how he felt.

 Another ten more minutes had passed, before the doctor came out of the room. "Sousuke?"

 "Rei?" Sousuke exhaled when he saw that the doctor was someone he knew. "How is Rin? Is Rin okay?"

 Rei held up a hand to calm him down. "Rin is quite alright. I've checked up on him and he is now resting in the other room."

 "Why would he have passed out all of a sudden?"

 "Ah well," Rei pushed his glasses. "it's perfectly normal for somebody pregnant for along a month to faint. But in Rin's case, I think it was mostly caused by stress and being overwhelmed with emotions."

 Sousuke's eyes almost popped out of his head.

  _"Rin's pregnant?"_

 Rei's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "You–you didn't know? I thought Rin would have—" He stammered, fiddling with his glasses. "He came in for a checkup about a week and a half ago. By then he was already along two weeks.He seemed shocked by the news and he told me not to tell anyone for now. I thought he would have told you—"

 "He didn't." Sousuke shook his head. His mind was spinning as he tried to let the news sink in. Everything that had been happening—the vomiting, the exhaustion, the change in Rin's scent... It all added up now. And god, he felt stupid. Why didn't he notice it earlier?

 His wolf shifted restlessly at the fact that their mate kept this from them, but Sousuke pushed those emotions down. He couldn't be mad at Rin now, not after when he almost lost him.

 "You mustn't blame him." Rei said gently, "I think this whole pregnancy thing took its toll on him. Judging from his condition, he was suffering from exhaustion from the lack of sleep and pent-up stress. If I may ask, what was he doing before he fainted?"

 "He was crying," Sousuke murmured. "We—we were arguing..."

 "That makes sense." Rei observed. "He might have gotten too emotional and that would have affected his state of health."

 "What about..." Sousuke said tentatively, "what about the baby?"

 Rei gave him a warm smile. "The baby is perfectly fine."

 Sousuke breathed out a sigh he didn't even know he was holding in. "Thank god. May I go see him now?"

 "Of course." Rei said, and he patted Sousuke on the back before he left. "Congratulations on becoming a father."

 Before he entered, Sousuke's hand hovered by the doorknob. All the previous guilt came crashing back down on him. He had shouted at Rin, accused him of cheating, and left him alone. He had been alone all this time, dealing with something like this. He must have been so afraid. He must have called of on attending the tournament because of _this_. Sousuke squeezed his eyes shut, chest constricting in pain at the thought of his mate suffering.

 Sousuke felt like he had failed him.

 Rin was lying on the bed when he entered, looking tiny and fragile under the flimsy cover, dwarfed by the small hospital bed. His eyes were closed and it was only then, did Sousuke see Rin's hair usual fiery red hair looking dull and lifeless, and the dark rings under Rin's eyes which Sousuke had failed to notice before. He wanted to cry. Instead, he grabbed his mate's hand, kissing his knuckles one by one.

 "I'm here now, sweetheart. I'm here now."

 ----------

 "Sou..."

 Sousuke opened his eyes groggily, realizing he had fallen asleep by the side of the hospital bed. His limbs were sore and stiff, aching in protest when he moved. His hand was still holding Rin's. Slowly, he felt Rin's fingers squeezing his.

 "Rin?" Sousuke glanced at Rin's face, suddenly feeling very much awake. Rin's eyes were slowly opening, squinting at the bright white light above, and the sight made Sousuke reach over and stroke his cheek tenderly. "Baby, can you hear me?"

 Rin turned to look at him. Almost immediately, tears began to well up in his eyes, making Sousuke panic once again.

 "Baby, are you hurting?" Sousuke searched Rin's eyes for any indication that he was in pain. "Should I call the doctor?"

 Rin shook his head in response. He opened his mouth to speak, his voice soft and barely a whisper. "I'm sorry..."

 "Shh," Sousuke said, feeling like crying himself. "You have nothing to be sorry for. _I_ should be sorry. I'm sorry I yelled at you, and accused you and of even thinking that you would do something so horrible as cheating on me. I'm a horrible mate."

 Rin shook his head again, but he was giving Sousuke a small, tired smile.

 "Are you feeling okay?"

 "I'm okay." Rin answered, before he tensed up, almost shooting up from the bed. "The baby—"

 "The baby's okay." Sousuke reassured quickly, "Nothing bad happened."

 Rin relaxed, his body melting back onto the mattress.

 "Rin..." Sousuke said, "why didn't you tell me?" His tried to keep his voice soft, but it was evident that there was still an undertone of hurt in it.

 Rin squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry, it was too shocking when I found out... I wanted to tell you...but whenever I tried..." He let out a shaky breath. "And I didn't know if you wanted children; I didn't know if _I_ wanted to have the baby—"

 "What, of course I do!" Sousuke said, kissing Rin's forehead softly, like he was afraid of hurting him. "Why don't you want the baby?"

 Rin made a gesture that he wanted Sousuke up on the hospital bed. Sousuke took off his shoes and climbed to the side, careful not to squish his mate. He took him into his arms, pulling him impossibly closer and resting his chin on the top of Rin's head.

 "I'm afraid." Rin whispered.

 "Don't be afraid." Sousuke said softly, "I'm here now."

 They laid there in silence. Rin's eyes were closed and Sousuke's hands wandered down Rin's arms, in an attempt to soothe. They stopped at Rin's stomach. He leaned in close so he was facing Rin's stomach. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for daddy when he went for his first checkup. And for all the weeks he had to go through this alone. But don't worry little one, papa Sou's here now and I'm going to take good care of you and daddy. You'll be good a pup, right?

 Rin smiled, his eyes still closed.

 "You scared me..." Sousuke whispered, coming up and leaning his forehead against Rin's. "I thought I was going to lose you."

 Rin hummed sleepily. "You won't lose me. Or the baby. I won't let that happen."

 "Alpha won't let that happen." Sousuke promised his omega. "We're going to be okay now." He said, tenderly placing a hand on Rin's stomach.

 ----------

 It was a month after Rin left the hospital. Once Rei had deemed him healthy enough, along with a few reminders to take good care of his own health and to come back for regular checkups, he had discharged him the next day. Rei had also kindly given some advice to Sousuke, out of Rin's earshot, just to be helpful.

 "So Sousuke," Rei said. "Just a heads up that Rin's going to be eating quite a lot very soon, and most probably he'll be going through a series of mood swings."

 "Mood swings?" Sousuke asked.

 "Yes, it can be quite intense. I'm telling you now, just so you can know what to expect."

 Sousuke was perfectly aware of pregnancy symptoms—his mother had given her fair share of complaining once Sousuke reached highschool. But it was just food cravings and mood swings, nothing he couldn't handle.

  _How bad could it be?_

 He got his answer soon enough.

 "Hey babe," Sousuke said one evening while they were watching TV on the couch. There were blankets and pillows spread out around them, just so they could spend the evening snuggled up comfortably. And also because ever since he found out about the pregnancy, Sousuke was constantly trying to make sure that Rin was safe and not in any position that would harm himself and the baby. He also decided to make some changes in their routine—preferably with Rin going up the stairs. Sousuke was now in charge of carrying Rin up the steps, much to his mate's protests.

 "Hm?" Rin said, eyes still glued towards the show. He was holding a box of chocolate cookies in one hand and in another, he had a packet of chips. Sousuke was glad that Rin was eating more—it was a normal sign—though he couldn't help but feel that Rin should eat food with more nutritional value.

 "Don't you think," Sousuke said slowly, "that maybe you should...lay off the snacks for a little bit?"

 Rin who up to this point was watching the show, turned to look at him. His face was a mask of disbelief which slowly morphed into anger. "Sousuke Yamazaki, are you calling me _fat_?"

 Sousuke could feel the color drain from his face. Sure, he was the alpha in the household but when his omega gets mad, it was absolutely _terrifying_.

 "N-no, of course not!" He stammered, a bit taken aback by the response. "I was just saying that maybe you shouldn't eat so much junk food—"

 "So you're calling me a pig now?" Rin screeched, throwing the packets of junk food in his face. Sousuke ducked when the now-empty box of cookies when sailing over his head.

 "Wait, what—"

 "You don't like me being fat, don't you?" Rin stood up abruptly, making Sousuke drop everything he was doing and rushing to his side. "Am I too _fat_ for you to love now _?"_

 "Baby, be careful! You may hurt yourself—"

 "Like you care!" Rin cried, slapping Sousuke's hand away. "You don't like me being fat and pregnant now, and then you're going to go find another mate!"

 "But I only said—"

 "Are you going to go find another skinnier mate?" Rin asked, "Was that your plan all along, Sousuke? To get me pregnant and round like this so you can go find someone else? Uh-huh, I thought so!"

 "Rin baby," Sousuke tried again. "I only have one mate and that's you—"

 "Shut up you lying bastard!" Rin wailed, reaching over and grabbing the blanket off the couch. He wrapped himself in a bundle, hugging one of the pillows before walking off to their bedroom, movie now long forgotten. "And here I thought mates were inseparable, but _no_ , you just proved me wrong."

 "Rin, don't walk so fast, it's not good for the baby—"

 "Oh, so apparently I'm too fat to walk fast now?"

 "Oh god." Sousuke groaned softly but apparently it was still loud enough for Rin to hear.

 "What do you mean by 'oh god'?" Rin spun around, gasping. "Am I such a burden you have to carry? It's partly your fault I'm pregnant in the first place!"

 "Baby, that's not what I meant—" Sousuke gulped, not knowing what to do.

 "Forget it. I'm going upstairs." Rin said, turning away and heading up for the stairs.

 "Let me carry you—"

 "No," Rin glared at him, "I don't want to break your bones because _apparently_ , I'm overweight now. You're sleeping on the couch tonight."

 Sousuke was left staring and dumbfounded, as Rin stormed up the steps.

 ----------

 "Sou..."

 A poke on his cheek.

 "Sou..."

 His eyes flew open when he realized it was Rin's voice calling out to him in the darkness of their room. "Rin? Sweetheart, what's wrong? Is it the baby—"

 "No, the baby's fine." Rin said, and Sousuke realized Rin was sitting up beside him. "but I'm hungry."

 "You're hungry?" Sousuke blinked, one hand reaching up to rub the sleep away from his eyes. "What time is it?"

 "3:45 in the morning."

 Sousuke groaned, and let his fall back towards the pillow, eyes almost closing again. Rin nuzzled his head into Sousuke's neck. "Sou..." He whined.

 "Okay, okay... I'm awake." Sousuke sighed. "What do you want to eat?"

 "Pickles."

 " _Pickles?"_

Sousuke was sure Rin nodded, as he felt the bed moved and heard the sound of affirmation. He swung his legs out of the covers and got out of bed.

 He was on an important mission to get some pickles to curb his husband's pregnancy cravings.

 "With peanut butter."

_Scratch that._

 He was on an important mission to get some pickles _with_ peanut butter to curb his husband's pregnancy cravings.

 "Got it." He shuffled out of the room. "I'll be right back."

 It was a good thing they conveniently had pickles and peanut butter in the kitchen. He brought them both upstairs where Rin sat on the bed, waiting eagerly. The bedside lamp as now turned on, and Sousuke could see Rin clearly now. He looked very alert for someone who was awake at these godly hours of the morning.

 "Thank you, you're the best." Rin beamed, leaning up to give his beloved husband a quick peck on the lips. He then turned his attention to the food. Taking one pickle he dipped it into the peanut butter jar and chewed off the portion. He hummed in approval while his husband stared at the side, trying not to look too disgusted.

 "You can go to sleep, you know." Rin said, "I'll go to sleep after I'm done eating."

 "No, it's okay." As much as Sousuke felt slightly put off with the weird combination of food Rin was consuming, he didn't feel comfortable leaving his mate alone for a second. "I'll go to sleep when you're done."

 When Rin was finished, Sousuke cleared the jars and put them aside. Switching off the light, he then pulled his now-contented mate close to him once again, wrapping a gentle arm on Rin's waist.

 "Better?"

 He felt Rin's nod against his chest, and within minutes he heard Rin's breathing evened out. Sousuke smiled and closed his eyes.

 ----------

 Rin was five months pregnant now.

 His once flat stomach was now round and protruding out from his body. And Sousuke loved it. He loved seeing Rin's tummy, knowing that their healthy baby was growing inside and will soon enter the world. There were days when Rin felt insecure about his size, but Sousuke was always there to reassure him that he looked beautiful no matter what.

 "Sou?" Rin called from the couch of their living room.

 "Yes, sweetheart?" Sousuke answered from the study.

 "Can you carry me upstairs?" Rin asked, "I'm kind of tired."

 "Don't I always?" Sousuke smiled, coming out from the room. He gave Rin a kiss on the lips before proceeding to carry him bridal-style up to their room.

 "Am I too heavy? I can walk if—"

 "No, you weigh almost nothing at all." Sousuke smiled, leaning down and kissing Rin's forehead. He meant it—with his werewolf strength, Rin was like a feather in his arms. Sometimes, it worried him that Rin wasn't heavy enough. In those times, he almost wished Rin weighed more.

 "I'm sorry." Rin said, putting one hand on Sousuke's chest..

 "Baby, why are you apologizing?"

 "Because I feel like a burden sometimes." Rin explained, though he kept his eyes downcast. "I know you have work to do but then you also have to take care of me—"

 "Taking care of you _is_ my work." Sousuke said firmly, wanting to get rid of all those negative thoughts in his mate's head. "I don't want you thinking that you're a burden because you're never one to me. This is _our_ baby. Understand?"

 Sousuke was satisfied only when he saw Rin nod in response, a blush tinting his cheeks. " I just realized something now."

 "And what's that?"

 "You'd probably have to find another nickname for me since baby is used for our pup now." Rin laughed.

 "You'll be Baby One and our pup will be Baby Two." Sousuke answered, grinning.

 "I wonder if the baby's going to be a boy or a girl?" Rin hummed, his eyes bright and gleaming at the thought.

 "I don't care whether it's a girl or a boy. Because whatever gender the baby is, I will love it as much as I love you." Sousuke said, with no single doubt in his voice.

 ---------

 "Rin!" Sousuke rushed to his side when Rin entered the house. "Where have you been? I came home from training to find the house empty. I tried calling you but—"

 "Calm down, Sousuke," Rin said, trying to emit reassuring scents to calm his panicky mate. "I just went to buy some groceries, that's all."

 "Buy some groceries?" Sousuke echoed, looking stunned. "You mean you carried these bags all the way home?" He gestured to the grocery bags lying at Rin's feet. "Rin, how many times do I have to tell you not to strain yourself, especially not when the baby is due anytime."

 Rin rolled his eyes when Sousuke bent down to pick up the bags, bringing them to the kitchen to unload. "Would you calm down? The bags aren't that heavy and it's only a short walk down the street. We needed to stock up on food."

 "I know sweetheart. But next time, wait until I'm home and then we can go together, okay?" Sousuke walked over to Rin and kissed his forehead. "I can't stand the thought of something happening to you, especially when I'm not around."

 "Alright, alright." Rin said, kissing him back. "Next time, we go together."

 Just then, Sousuke heard it more than he felt it, the sound of liquid splattering on the floor. He thought he had dropped something but when he looked down, the liquid seemed to be drenching Rin's sweatpants.

 "Rin...did you just pee?" Sousuke asked, though he noticed there was no smell of urine.

 "No..." Rin stared down at his pants and then back at Sousuke. "My water broke."

 "Your what—" Sousuke didn't even have time to comprehend what Rin had just said before Rin grabbed his arm.

 "The baby's coming."

 "The baby..." Sousuke repeated slowly before the words sunk into his mind. His eyes widened. "Oh my god, Rin! The baby's coming!

 "Well yes, that's what I just said." Rin rolled his eyes.

 "Oh my god. What do we do?" Sousuke started rushing about in the kitchen, grabbing things and putting them back.

 "Sousuke, will you calm down?" Rin said, putting his hands on his hips as he watched his husband barged about back and forth frantically. "I'm going to go take a shower."

 "You're going to do _what_?"

 "Take a shower." Rin was already walking away. "My pants are dirty."

 "Take a—But Rin, what about the _baby_?" Sousuke asked incredulously. _Why wasn't Rin panicking? He was about to give birth! The baby was ready to come out!_

 

"Call Rei and tell him what's going on and then go pack some clothes. We can go to the hospital after I come out." Rin waved a hand before entering the bedroom, leaving his husband gaping behind him.

 

Snapping out of his daze, he hurriedly pulled out his phone and called Rei.

 "Rei! The baby is coming!" He half-shouted down the phone the minute Rei picked up.

 "Hel— oh, Sousuke!" Rei exclaimed, surprised and quite possibly half-deaf. "That's great news! I'll prepare a room for him right away!"

 "We'll be coming in ten minutes." Sousuke said, a little breathless. Was he the only one panicking right now? Then he added—because he wasn't sure of anything about going into labor. "Is that okay? Because Rin's in the shower right now—"

 "Oh, that's perfectly fine." He could practically hear Rei beaming. "I await your arrival."

 After the phone call, Sousuke grabbed a bag and started stuffing some clothes in. Rin came out minutes later. "Okay I'm ready. Let's go."

 Sousuke practically bundled Rin into the car, even strapping his seatbelt for him. They then drove off to the hospital. Sousuke was torn between driving faster to get his mate to the hospital or slower because he didn't want to put his mate's safety at risk.

 When they arrived, Rei was already waiting for them. One of the nurses escorted Rin into a room, and Sousuke was asked to wait in the hallway.

 "Well, we'll put him on an IV drip for now until he's deemed ready for surgery." Rei smiled at the sight of Sousuke who was only half-paying attention to him, he was busy trying to look behind Rei where Rin had gone to. "You can go in and wait with him."

 Sousuke almost ran in the room after Rei said that. But he held himself back—he didn't want to appear rude and barbaric. The last thing Rin needed right now was having told that his husband had been escorted out of the hospital because he was acting like a caveman. He thanked Rei and hurried into the room.

 Rin lay on the hospital bed, garbed in a plain white hospital gown. He smiled when Sousuke entered.

 "Are you feeling okay?"

 "Yeah, I'm alright for now. What did the doctor say?"

 "The surgery will proceed once he thinks you're ready."

 Rin leaned back onto his pillows, blowing his bangs away from his face. "Wow. This is really happening."

 "Yeah." Sousuke said, grabbing Rin's hand in his. He needed the reassurance just as how Rin did at the moment.

 "Are you worried?" Rin asked. He smiled fondly when Sousuke kissed his hand.

 "Of course I'm worried." Sousuke answered truthfully.

 "Don't be." Rin said, reaching over and pushing Sousuke's hair from his forehead. "Rei knows what he's doing."

 "Yeah. But I'll always worry when it comes to you." Sousuke said, tightening his fingers in Rin's hand.

 ---------

 An hour later, the contractions started.

 Rin tried his best to bear with it but he winced occasionally.

 "Does it hurt?" Sousuke asked, worried.

 "No. Shit." Rin snarled back with gritted teeth as another one of his contractions hit him. He gripped his pillow and yelled into it. Sousuke was physically afraid that Rin was going to hit him with it.

 Another agonizing half an hour passed by. Rin's contractions were getting more and more stronger. "I hate you Sousuke Yamazaki! This is all your fault!" Rin yelled out loud when one particular painful contraction hit him.

 "Ah, I see he's ready." Rei entered with an amused smile. Sousuke on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He thought angry Rin was terrifying before, but that was before he experienced a furious, pregnant Rin, who was going into labor. "Okay Rin, we're going to push you into the surgical room now."

 A few nurses came in and started leading the bed in which Rin was lying on, out to the hallway.

 You better make it up to me when this is all over!" Rin said on the way out, while he passed by Sousuke who could only stand there awkwardly.

 "I love you too, sweetheart!" Sousuke called which Rin replied with another flurry of curses directed at him as he was wheeled away. He then turned to Rei. "Is he going to be okay?"

 "Don't worry, Sousuke." Rei reassured him, "Rin is going to be just fine. And the baby too." He then excused himself and went into the surgical room, leaving Sousuke standing alone in the hallway.

 ---------

 I _t was going to be fine._

_Rei's a great doctor._

_E_ _asy surgery. Open Rin's stomach and get the baby out._

_Easy peasy._

Sousuke sighed and glanced at the clock in the hallway. It had been two hours. _Did it usually take this long?_

  _Relax,_ he told himself. Rin would be out in no time. People get pregnant all the time, and the surgery for it should be considered quite common nowadays. Absolutely nothing to fret about.

 And yet...

 P _eople do die in pregnancies, right?_ Sousuke stiffened at the thought.

 Just as he was about to start pacing the hallway and crumble into a nervous puddle on the floor, the light of the surgical room turned green and Rei exited. Sousuke rushed over, almost tripping over his own feet.

 "How is he? How's the baby?"

 Rei pulled off his hospital mask and gave Sousuke a wide smile. "Congratulations, Sousuke! You're a father of two! Twins!"

  _Twins..._

And that was the exact moment Sousuke passed out.

 ----------

 "Ryo Matsuoka Yamazaki! Don't bully your sister." Rin pried the crawling infant off from the other who was already starting to cry. Sousuke entered the room and he immediately went over to the second infant, picking her up and rocking her in his arms.

 "There now Kaori, don't cry," he soothed, his large arms creating a wall of protection around her. She looked so tiny in his arms—merely a tuft of red hair from where Rin was sitting at. "papa's here."

 "Thank goodness it's almost time for bed. They are so restless at night." Rin said, picking up their son and heading upstairs. "Can you bring Kao upstairs too?"

 "You mean Baby Three?"

 " _You're_ a baby." Rin snorted and laughed.

 They went upstairs, each carrying one of the twins in their arms. By the time Sousuke reached the top of the steps, his baby girl Kaori had already fallen asleep. Ryo however, proved to be a challenge when it came to bed time. Though he was already starting to nod off, he still stubbornly struggled to keep awake. He reminded Rin of Sousuke. Especially since he had the same dark, black hair, though he had Rin's read eyes.

 Rin took a longer time rocking him back and forth, humming under his breath, to get him to sleep. When the baby was finally asleep, he tucked him into the crib.

 "Goodnight lovelies." Rin whispered, kissing them both on their tiny heads. They remain sleeping, oblivious to the world.

 Rin leaned back into Sousuke, and large warm hands came and circled around his waist. A small content smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched the babies sleeping.

 "Rin..." Sousuke whispered, and his breath tickled the back of Rin's neck. "Thank you."

 "Hm?" Rin turned around and wrapped his arms around his mate's.

 "For giving me two beautiful children." Sousuke said softly. "I am eternally grateful to have the three of you."

 Rin smiled, and buried his face in Sousuke's chest, inhaling his mate's scent. "Couldn't have done it without you."

 There was a pause before Sousuke spoke up, "You mean...literally speaking or—"

 "Oh my god," Rin pulled back and glared at him jokingly. "You just had to ruin the moment."

 Sousuke grinned. "Well, technically it is true."

 "Stop." Rin groaned and slapped his chest playfully. "I'm going to sleep."

 As he walked away, Sousuke peered into the nursery, smiling at the sight of his sleeping babies before he closed the door.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos please!


End file.
